The Bible, Christianity & American Government, Chapter 7
The book of Exodus opens this way:
“The children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”
Exodus 1:7
400 years earlier, Joseph had saved Egypt from destruction during the seven years of famine.
But, during those 400 years:
“There arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.”
Exodus 1:8
It is never a good idea to forget your history.
England had experienced a religious reformation and had grown to be a world power under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.
But everything changed in 1603, when the King of Scotland also became – for the first time – the King of Great Britain (and thus the King of England). He didn’t know much about English history (such as King John and Magna Charta). He didn’t know much about the Rights of Englishmen, nor did he care.
When people (like the group we know as the “Pilgrims”) chose to separate from the Church of England, King James had some unkind words for them.
“I shall make them conform or I will harry them out of the land or else do worse”
King James I (1603-1625)
And that is exactly what he did.
“For some were clapped into prison, others had their houses beset and watched, night and day, and hardly escaped their hands. And most were feign to flee and leave their houses and habitations and their means of livelihood.”
William Bradford, Of Plimouth Plantation, 1630
You see, King James believed in something called “the Divine Right of Kings,” and that his power as the King over England was absolute (meaning that it could not be questioned).
One website says:
“James’s great failure as an English king stemmed from his inability at first to perceive wherein the English assembly differed from the Scottish Parliament, and from his unwillingness to accept the differences when at last he became aware of them.”
In fact though, the problems didn’t end with James I. They went on for many years, with struggles between various kings and Parliament, until the English Bill of Rights was signed into law in 1689. But that only came after the King at that time (James II) fled the country, which became known as The Bloodless Revolution!
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he wasn’t writing it from within the bubble of the current events of his time. He was writing it from within the context of the hundreds of years of history since King James and the Pilgrims. And not only that, he was writing it from within the context of the ancient rights of his ancestors going all the way back through history to Magna Charta.
That is the our heritage as American citizens, and we would do well to remember it.
